LAOAG CITY—Standing on a brick pedestal, a larger-than-life statue of World War II hero, the late Ilocos Norte Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr., was the center of attraction in this city on Thursday as Ilocanos commemorated his 112th birth anniversary.
The celebration, called Ablan Day, was pursuant to Republic Act 6941 which declared August 9 a special non-working holiday in Ilocos Norte.
Amidst an unexpected drizzle on a gloomy Thursday morning, hundreds of Ilocanos, mostly provincial, city and town officials, teachers, students and members of non-government organizations, came in full force as they joined a simple wreath-laying ceremony at the Ablan Shrine here led by Senior Superintendent Cesar Pasiwen, Ilocos Norte Police director, together with the surviving family members of the late war hero.
The event’s guest speaker, National Security Council (NSC) Undersecretary Vicente Agdamag, told residents they are fortunate to have an Ilocano hero like Ablan.
He urged residents here to keep that spirit of heroism alive in support of the present administration of President Rodrigo Duterte who wants to transform the country for the better and for all Filipinos to live in peace.
Laoag Mayor Chevylle Fariñas said August 9 is always a special occasion in the city and the province as it reminds everyone about “Governor Ablan, an epitomy of unconditional love and patriotism that cannot be questioned.”
Recalling his brand of leadership, Fariñas reminded Ilocanos to always be unified and sustain what Ablan started when he sacrificed his life for other people.
“We enjoy freedom that we have now because of what he has begun. Let us sustain it as we thank the man who has given our local history more substance and meaning,” Fariñas said.
As a fourth generation descendant of the late Ablan Sr., Laoag City Councilor Roque Benjamin Ablan said their family is always inspired and well-grounded for bearing the name Ablan.
“There are a lot of instances where people tell me, ‘you are lucky you are an Ablan’. Being an Ablan is not all fun, it is also hard work and being responsible in everything that we do,” he said as he pointed out “we were taught to stand on our own, to work hard for what we want and to be respectable citizens of the country.”
Based on testimonies of elders in the province, Ablan Sr. was the only governor in Northern Luzon who did not surrender when the Japanese landed in Vigan, Ilocos Sur during the occupation period.
He refused to extend his cooperation to the Japanese and opted to leave the provincial capital of Laoag to avoid arrest and transferred the seat of government to a remote barrio near the boundary of Ilocos Norte and Apayao.
From there, Ablan Sr. built an army force together with Lt. Feliciano Madamba of the Philippine Army, which became known as the “Ablan-Madamba Guerilla Group of Northern Luzon”.
After their successful attack on Japanese patrols in Pampaniki, Solsona, he left for Cagayan to confer with Governor Marcelo Adduru.
He never came back, however, and what became of him remains a mystery to this day. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
